


a fairy tale under a curtain of stars

by wickerbasket



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Circus, Archie Andrews & Betty Cooper Friendship, F/M, Idiots in Love, Inspired by Big Fish (2003), Inspired by Moulin Rouge (2001), Inspired by The Greatest Showman (2017), Multi, Orphanage, Unrequited Love, the circus au no one asked for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-04-20
Packaged: 2019-04-25 10:55:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14377182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wickerbasket/pseuds/wickerbasket
Summary: "Something about the circus stirs their souls, and they ache for it when it is absent. They seek each other out, these people of such specific like mind. They tell of how they found the circus, how those first few steps were like magic. Like stepping into a fairy tale under a curtain of stars." - The Night Circus by Erin MorgensternIt's no secret that the Pembrooke Circus is one of the most spectacular acts in the country. People flock in hoards to see the animals, acrobats, trapeze artists, and magic that mark Pembrooke as the best of the best. However, a circus with such notoriety is prey to mysterious rumor. It's no secret that trapeze artists bow out of the show every season without fail. Some say that they find better work or aren't being treated fairly, but no one truly knows. Some even speak of a mysterious shadowy figure who haunts the Big Top and threatens the lives of those who fly in the rafters.But Betty isn't afraid. The Big Top is her sanctuary, her oasis, and she'll do anything to keep it that way. Even if it means joining the circus and possibly ditching her best friend.





	a fairy tale under a curtain of stars

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome to the circus and this ragtag group of ruffians. This my first work here, so bear with me as I work out the kinks.
> 
> Take that how you will.
> 
> Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Enjoy your trip to Pembrooke!

Betty and Archie had dreams. When wicked storms rattled the single-pane windows of the orphanage, they huddled under a blanket fort and dreamed. When there was no more food but still mouths to feed, they smuggled bread from the nearby bakery and dreamed. When the circus rolled into town for a glorious three months, they snuck out and dreamed.

The lights and liberation of the traveling circus was the dream. But it never seemed attainable.

After years of hoping and lusting after a dream that could never come true, Archie gave up almost entirely. He picked up his dusty guitar that Betty fashioned out of the music store’s dumpster and taught himself how to play. He figured that, if he could play a couple popular songs even at their most basic level, he could at least busk outside the orphanage for spare change. If he saved up enough money, he and Betty could finally escape.

Betty, however, kept the circus dream alive. While Archie’s aspirations turned musical and, frankly, more realistic, Betty snuck out every night the circus was in town. She donned her best coat – a dusted rose frock lined with warm fleece, the only remaining memory of her mother – and bribed Archie with a few guitar picks from the sidewalk next to the music store. Betty knew that Archie didn’t need bribing to cover for her, but she felt bad leaving him so often. It was the least she could do.

While Betty fell in love with the glittering electricity that was the Pembrooke Circus, Archie lost himself in his developing musical talent. He used the guitar picks Betty retrieved for him until they broke, the plastic brittle from the elements and the passion with which he played. When he felt comfortable, Archie started singing along to his gentle chords, which entertained the rest of the orphanage when Grundy allowed him to play. When she didn’t, he took his gig outside.

During the day, he and Betty would sit on the stoop outside the orphanage and play for passersby. Inspired by the acrobats and trapeze artists of the circus, Betty used their time outside to practice her gymnastics. Archie strummed to a hidden beat while Betty did back handsprings and cartwheels. Though he had to admit he preferred performing by himself, he never made more money than when he and Betty performed together. In fact, he could see a career for them doing what they loved: music and gymnastics.

And yet, Betty longed for the circus. Talked about it almost every day, with the same twinkle in her eye and breathless tone to her voice. It broke Archie’s heart to see her want for so much when reality would undoubtedly get in the way. He never considered how reality would undoubtedly get in his way, too.

 

 

“Archie. Archie!”

A voice from the back of his sold-out show cried his name miraculously over the roar of bass and drums. It sounded frantic, even manic, and yet there was a calmness to it. One thing was for certain: the voice was persistent.

“Archie! You asked for it!”

He stopped playing and searched the crowd for the owner of the voice. What did he ask for? Was he being threatened? He placed his guitar on the stage and jumped down into the audience, which was, oddly, full of static mannequins. And then…

 _Thwomp._ Face to the floor.

“Well there you go, Andrews. Are you up now?” A blonde-haired figure aimed a barefooted kick at his ribs and grabbed his arm. “Up you go. What were you dreaming about?”

“Huh?” Archie was still veiled in sleep, despite the rib assault. He let Betty lift him off the ground – apparently jumping from a stage into a crowd translated to jumping from his bed to the floor – and rubbed his eyes. “Betty? What the hell?”

“You can ignore my questions all you want, Archie, but you must listen to this next part. Today is a very special day.” She was practically glowing with excitement.

Normally, Archie would chameleon his emotions to match hers, but he was too tired to make the effort. “Why is today special?”

“The circus.”

“The circus got here months ago.”

“Then you could probably infer that tonight is the circus’ last night before they pack up to move.”

Archie sighed. He knew where this was going. “Let me guess. You’re going to run away? For real this time?”

Betty pulled this stunt every year since the Pembrooke Circus started coming to Riverdale, back when they were kids. She concocted an elaborate plan to escape the orphanage with their belongings, pack them up in tablecloths on sticks like in the movies, and join the circus. Each year she tried to follow her plan and, each year, something went terribly wrong. Now, at age seventeen, she insisted with a seriousness Archie had come to see as dangerous. Betty eyes were glittering, her hands gripping his arm with an alarming strength.

“No, Archie. We’re going to run away. You and me. Your guitar and my gymnastics. Like we always dreamed!”

He couldn’t deny that her excitement was contagious, but there was a large part of him that saw just how stupid this idea was. It was idiotic; why leave a shelter just to live outside with strangers? Sure, there were train cars or however they traveled the country, but what kind of life was that? A life on the run?

“Isn’t it a bit early for nonsense?” Archie grumbled, pushing her away. He ignored the hurt look on her face and busied himself with fixing his hair in the mirror across from his bed. “We’re seventeen, almost eighteen. Don’t you think we should be more responsible? Find a living instead of running away?”

Even as he said the words, he didn’t believe them. The “living” he referenced was most likely busking on the streets, and that was no way to live.

“Are you serious, Archie?” Betty asked, taking a seat next to him. “Grundy is going to throw me out the day I turn eighteen. A few months later, she’ll do the same to you. Don’t you want control over your future? You can choose to join the circus instead of being forced to play music on the streets.”

She saw right through him more often than he’d like to admit. “You’re crazy, Cooper.”

“No sane person ever made it big. Quote me, Elizabeth Cooper.” She smiled and caught his gaze in the mirror. “Would you at least consider it? I can give you some time, you know… if you want.” Her voice quieted to a whisper as the other kids paraded down the hallway in anticipation of breakfast.

Without waiting for an answer, she patted his back and left him alone in his room.

Archie knew that she expected an answer by end of day. He had to admit there was a small part of him that loved the idea of changing scene, taking the open road, and finding a new life. But there was an even larger part of him that resisted change, despite how futile that was. There was no way Archie’s life would remain the same, no matter what happened tonight. Change was inevitable. Would he be a part of it or just let it happen to him?

Archie stood up to leave his room when he saw a neatly folded, red and white gingham tablecloth outside his door. There was a note resting on top.

_In case you change your mind._

He grabbed the tablecloth and tossed it in his room, note and all.

 

 

Betty spent the majority of her day on the orphanage stoop, keeping a casual eye on the other children. She was kind of jealous of their carefree screams; if Betty had ever made such noise without abandon, Grundy surely would’ve slapped her with one of her signature belts. The children didn’t know how great they had it.

In a way, it kind of explained Archie’s reservations.

Archie was always the golden child in Grundy’s eyes: the picture of perfection, the better half of he and Betty. He always behaved and showed promise for life after the orphanage. Once he started playing guitar, Grundy couldn’t say enough about his talent. Though she rarely let him play in the building, she had nothing but encouraging words for him. She never said a word about Betty making a new guitar out of old parts in the dumpster or helping him tune the strings, just Archie and his natural ability.

With all of the support he found from Grundy, why would he want to leave?

Betty perched her chin in her hands and watched the children run down the sidewalk. She hoped her friendship with Archie was enough for him to want to run away with her, but maybe that was too much to ask. Then again, what good was a friendship if you couldn’t rely on the other person?

Regardless of Archie’s decision, Betty had already made hers. She had her tablecloth lined with belongings stashed under her bed. She was a strong believer in keeping a dream intact, tablecloth sacks and all.

 

 

Left. Right. Left. Right.

Betty always thought the trapeze artists were like the old grandfather clock in the orphanage’s living room. They swung back and forth, left to right, in a hypnotizing rhythm. The music swelled behind their movements, pushing them forward until they had no choice but to take each other’s hands and release.

Free fall. Cathartic salvation.

A dull thrum reverberated through Betty’s spine and out through her arms, which she always had stiffened and locked during the trapeze. A part of her always wondered what it would feel like to be one of them. To feel that liberating breeze, hear the collective gasp of an audience on its toes.

Landing. Applause.

Betty shot to her feet before anyone else realized the act was over. She had seen the show enough times to know what the final bow looked like, and the performers were already soaring to a graceful landing on the hay. The crowd roared behind Betty, shocking her senses. It was one thing to be a part of the audience, but how incredible was it to feel the awe? The reverence? The admiration?

Betty was desperate to know.

There was no time to obsess over the fact that Archie didn’t come with her. She had a mission to complete and, no matter what the outcome, she wasn’t returning to the orphanage tonight.

Her plan was bulletproof.

Each night, the ringleader exited the animal tent to make sure the crowd had cleared. Tonight would be no different. He’d come out, see Betty on the bleachers, and initiate conversation. She would mention candidly how she’s been practicing gymnastics for years and how delighted she would be if he had an open spot in his troupe. If he was difficult to persuade, she’d turn on the tears and present her orphanage background on a silver platter of sympathy. The plan was in place.

She had only to wait.

 

 

He felt it coming. The end.

The end of an act, a show, a season. It was all ending and, like every other season, he was powerless to stop it. With the end came an assurance that things would never be the same. Things would change. Endings were final and nonnegotiable.

And yet… there was a refreshing sense of renewal, beginning, in the air.

He could feel it. The beginning.

Perhaps it was the electricity left over from the show, or the general buzz of the cast as they left for drinks, but it was palpable. A new start.

As he looked out from his station in the rafters, he saw the girl. Blonde hair, blue eyes, bright aura. She screamed excitement and naivete, but she meant well. Her rosy cheeks flushed as if she could feel his gaze, but her eyes were trained on the ringleader.

This was it. The new beginning, born from an inevitable end.

 

 

The orphanage was quiet with the sounds of sleep, save for Archie and his guitar. He couldn’t deny that the instrument calmed him, but it was laced with Betty’s presence and, unfortunately, that was the last thing he wanted to think about.

She had asked him one last time before she snuck out the front door. “Will you run away with me?”

It felt like a scene out of a movie and Archie played his part too perfectly. “I want to but… I can’t.”

Betty pursed her lips and nodded. She turned to leave but, at the last moment, she ran back and hugged Archie fiercely. It was almost as if she knew she would never see him again.

Archie played that moment over and over as he idly struck the guitar strings. The hurt look on her face as he denied her. The strength in her arms as she gripped him one last time. He could’ve sworn there were tears welling up in her blue eyes, but maybe that was just his guilt playing tricks.

_Will you run away with me?_

He told himself all day that there was no logic to it. All day he insisted that he had a life beyond this orphanage that staying in Riverdale would secure. But was he just making excuses? If he really thought about it, what kind of life could he make out of a garbage guitar and a shred of talent?

Archie took another glance at the clock. 10 PM. The circus was probably packing up just about now and, if she played her cards right, Betty was joining them.

If Archie had played his cards right, he would’ve been there too.

Archie set down his guitar and saw the red and white tablecloth crumpled by his bed. Yet another reminder of the life he could’ve pursued. Could still pursue if he acted quickly…

He sprang off his bed and got to work.

 

 

“Miss Cooper, our biggest fan! I see you’re well.” Cliff wandered over to where Betty sat, back straight and hands clasped in her lap. “I trust you enjoyed the show?”

Cliff was the fearless ringleader of the Riverdale Circus. Decked out in a heavy blue military-style coat with glossy gold detailing, he was the vision of the ethereal. His navy pants were pleated and lined with gold fabric that caught the dim light as he walked towards her and his shoes were shined to near-blinding perfection. His red hair, though thinning in areas, was the brightest it had ever been. He was the leader for a reason.

Betty straightened her back – as if it weren’t already straight as could be – and gave the ringleader an innocent smile. “Definitely, Mr. Blossom. It was a pleasure. As always.” She bowed her head and shook his outstretched hand.

“Lovely to hear. Well, I guess there’s no reason to skirt around it, hm?” Cliff’s eyes, usually so bright and sparkling, suddenly looked tired and dull. It was as if the performance had drained him of his glittering pretense and left him looking like a husk of himself. Betty hadn’t noticed that before. Then again, she had never really talked to him like this, one-on-one.

“I’m not sure I know what you mean, Mr. Blossom,” Betty confessed. Though, if she were being honest with herself, she knew exactly what he meant. Or hoped she did, anyway. Maybe this wouldn’t be so difficult after all.

“Let’s walk, Miss Cooper.” Cliff led Betty in a slow walk around the Big Top, clasping his hands behind his back. He looked from corner to corner and bleacher to bleacher as if looking for the right words. Betty swore she stopped breathing.

“As I’m sure you’ve heard, we’ve lost one of our own. Gryphon.”

Betty tried to act surprised, but she knew full-well this would happen. It was no secret that the trapeze artists, though beautiful and talented, never lasted long. It wasn’t that they died or fell sick; in fact, no one really knew the details. This time it was Gryphon, but she wasn’t the first nor the last of her kind. Though, based on Betty’s experience in the past year, Gryphon was one of the greats. It was almost a shame to want to take her place.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Mr. Blossom,” she said.

“Yes, well, these things do happen. More frequently than I’d like, that’s for sure…” Cliff’s voice faltered as he took a look up at the trapeze bars, recalling a memory Betty didn’t feel wise to inquire about. She was sure it was hard enough for him to lose one of his best performers, even if it was inevitable.

“But, nevertheless, that’s not why I asked you to walk, Miss Cooper. Actually, it is related to what I have to say. Anyway, I… have a proposition for you.”

The words were spoken at a normal volume, but Betty magnified them in her mind. Memorized the cadence with which he said them. Played it over and over again until it was pinned to her memory in multiple places, making it impossible to forget. She didn’t think it would be this easy.

“I know you’ve been practicing gymnastics for quite a bit and you’ve definitely caught our eye. I’ve talked it over with the others and, well, we would be certainly honored if you answered positively. That is to say…” He took a deep breath and smiled wearily. “Would you like to join our family?”

The only thing she expected to be easy was her answer.

“I’d love nothing more, Mr. Blossom.”

 

 

“Come on, come on… where is this place again?” Archie stumbled out of the alleyway and clutched his hastily-tied tablecloth to his chest. He had been to this place so many times as a kid, and yet he couldn’t seem to find it. Wasn’t the Big Top supposed to be, well, big? If so, where was it?

From what he remembered, the circus was directly beyond the alleyway between the orphanage and the music store. And yet, there were no obnoxious red and yellow tents.

“Damnit!” He hissed.

Archie knew Pembrooke Circus. He knew how it felt to see it on the horizon, hear the blare of trumpets before a performance, and smell the gunpowder of firework displays. He knew how Betty’s hand felt soft and warm in his own and the way her eyes twinkled at the sight of the Big Top. Now he had neither of those things: Betty or the circus.

“You lost?” A voice said from his right.

Archie startled and looked. A figure dressed completely in black stepped out of the shadows and into the slight light of the street. His face was shadowed in smoky black face makeup, black hair swept back into a beanie to battle the slight wind chill.

“Who are you?” Archie asked, stepping back.

“I believe I asked you a question first. Proper conversational etiquette would suggest that you answer me first, then ask your question.” The man smirked and took a sip of a milkshake Archie didn’t notice before.

“Uh… okay. Well, yes. I guess I am lost. I’m not sure you can help me though, considering…”

“Considering I’m dressed in black and came out the shadows?”

“Actually, yes. That’s exactly what I was going to say.”

The man laughed. He looked Archie up and down and leaned against the wall. “If you’re looking for the circus, there’s some carts still hanging around. They took the tents down already, but it’s just up ahead.” He pointed away from the alley.

“Wait. How did you know I was looking for the circus? And how…”

“How do I know where the circus is? Well, it just so happens that I work there. It’s a living.” The man gestured to his outfit and gave a mock bow.

When Archie looked closer at his attire, it was unmistakably that of a circus performer. It was black spandex etched with scales of varying metallic finishes. He assumed the costume continued down to the man’s feet, but he wore sweatpants to cover the rest of him.

“Wow, uh, I’m really sorry,” Archie said.

“Don’t worry about it. Just keep going straight and you’ll eventually run into somebody. They can’t leave without me, so you have some time, but don’t doddle.” The man finished the milkshake and tossed it into a dumpster.

“Thanks. I think. What’s your name?” Archie asked.

“It’s not important. But if you need to call me something to make it less awkward, call me Levi.”

“Well, thanks, Levi. I’m Archie.”

“Yeah, I probably won’t be calling you that. We’ll talk details later.” Levi pushed off the wall and waved his arm in the direction of the circus. “You better hurry up. If you need to find someone specific, you better hope they didn’t leave yet.”

“Okay!” Archie nodded and took off jogging, hugging the tablecloth tightly to his chest. Before he could get out of earshot, he heard Levi laugh. Whether it was at Archie or something else entirely, he didn’t care. The circus was still here. He could still choose his future, find Betty, and join the circus.

They could run away. For real this time.


End file.
